Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie Headshot

Singer • Musician

Birth Name: Lionel Brockman Ritchie Jr.

Birth Date: June 20, 1949

Age: 75 years old

Birth Place: Tuskegee, Alabama

Children: Nicole Richie

If Lionel Richie had only been the frontman for The Commodores he would have earned a place in music history, but his subsequent solo career made him a superstar in the '80s and beyond. Richie was born in Tuskegee, Alabama on June 20, 1949, where he began playing in bands in the '60s.

In 1968, he and some members of his band The Mystics merged with members of another local band, The Jays, to form The Commodores. Though the band would later become famous for a pop-friendly R&B approach, their early sound was far edgier and funkier. With Richie on vocals, keyboards, and sax, The Commodores released their debut album, Machine Gun, in 1974, scoring a hit with the instrumental title track. By 1976 they were reaching the upper rungs of the Top 40 with hits like "Sweet Love" and "Just To Be Close To You."

But they became bona fide pop stars the following year with the ubiquitous smashes "Easy" and "Brick House." Though Richie wasn't the band's only singer/songwriter, his name became synonymous with The Commodores by the time of hit ballads like 1978's "Three Times a Lady" and 1979's "Still." By the beginning of the '80s he was penning pop hits for others, like Kenny Rogers' "Lady."

A solo career seemed imminent, and after 1981's In the Pocket, he left The Commodores, releasing his hugely successful, self-titled solo album in 1982, featuring the hits "You Are," "Truly," and "My Love." 1983 blockbuster follow-up Can't Slow Down was the biggest album of Richie's career, eventually achieving Diamond status and including No. 1 hits "Hello" and "All Night Long." 1986's Dancing on the Ceiling boasted huge hits too, like the title track and "Say You, Say Me."

Richie's profile dipped with his '90s releases, but he experienced something of a comeback with 2006's Coming Home, his first Gold album in a decade.

And in 2012 he earned his first No. 1 album since the '80s by shifting direction with Tuskegee, a country-flavored album on which he partnered with top country singers on new versions of his classic tunes.

Credits

The Greatest Night in PopStream

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Easy Like Sunday Morning by Lionel Richie Fragrance

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Easy Like Sunday Morning by Lionel Richie Fragrance Premiere

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Happy Hour Deals with Helen

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Happy Hour Birthday Deals With Helen

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2023

The Coronation Concert

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2023

Live with Kelly and Mark

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2023

Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas

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2023

Hello by Lionel Richie Fragrance Premiere - All On Free Shipping

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2022

Lionel Richie: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song

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2022

The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

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2021

Kenny Rogers: All In for The GamblerStream

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2021

Kenny Rogers Farewell Concert Celebration: All in for the Gambler

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2021

American Music Awards: The Legends

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2021

Country Strong 2020: Countdown to the CMA Awards -- An ABC News Special

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2020

The Drew Barrymore ShowStream

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2020

CMA Best of Fest

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2020

Biography: Kenny Rogers

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2020

Nikki Fre$hStream

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2020

Nikki Fre$hStream

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2020

Lionel Richie at Glastonbury

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2020

Lionel Loves Idol

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2020

Saved by the '80s New Years

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2020

Sandy & Junior: Endless Love

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2019

The Kelly Clarkson Show

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2019

David Foster: Off the Record

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2019

The Black Godfather

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2019

Lionel Richie: Ordinary Girl

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2019

Lionel Richie: Ordinary Girl

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2019

American Idol: A New Journey Begins

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2019

Lionel Richie Feat. Luciano Pavoratti: The Magic of Love

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2019

David Foster: Off the Record

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2019

Lionel Richie: Truly

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2018

The RookieStream

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2018

Idol Reboot

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2018

Lionel Loves Idol

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2018

BBMA Top R&B

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2018

American Music Awards 2018: Top 10 Winners of All Time

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2018

The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors

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2017

Daily Pop

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2017

Live with Kelly and Ryan

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2017

Live with Kelly and Ryan

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2017

Play Hits - Grandes Vozes 8

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2017

Play Hits - Black In Love 3

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2017

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2017

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2016

The 58th Annual Grammy Awards

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2016

Glastonbury Festival 2015

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2015

Lionel Richie: Star Of Glastonbury

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2015

Lionel Richie

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2015

Lionel Richie: Live at Glastonbury

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2015

Beauty Report with Amy Morrison Celebration

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2015

The Late Late Show With James Corden

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2015

Bonnaroo Backtracks

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2015

Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular

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2014

BET Awards 2014: Extras

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2014

Nathan East: For the Record

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2014

American Idol: Extras

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2013

Maria, Marì: Pavarotti & Friends - For Guatemala and Kosovo

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2012

ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends -- In Concert

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2012

The 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards

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2012

Lionel Richie Tuskegee

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2012

NFL Super Bowl Gospel Celebration

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2012

CBS This Morning

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2012

Lionel Richie Feat. Billy Currington: Just for You

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2012

The 34th Annual Kennedy Center Honors

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2011

The 45th Annual CMA Awards

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2011

Q With Jian Ghomeshi

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2011

Dish NationStream

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2011

The VoiceStream

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2011

The VoiceStream

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2011

Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years

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2011

Love Songs at the BBC: A Valentine's Day Special

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2011

Piers Morgan Tonight

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2011

Lionel Richie Feat. Shania Twain: Endless Love

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2011

The TalkStream

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2010

The TalkStream

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2010

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight

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2010

Lorraine

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2010

National Memorial Day Concert (2010)

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2010

On the Red Carpet

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2010

Who Do You Think You Are?Stream

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2010

An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Lionel Richie

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2010

Watch What Happens Live With Andy CohenStream

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2009

Alan Carr: Chatty Man

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2009

Feel the Beat

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2009

Piers Morgan's Life Stories

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2009

Lionel Richie: Dancing On The Ceiling

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2009

Lionel Richie Feat. Akon: Just Go

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2009

Lionel Richie: Angel (Metro Mix)

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2009

Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest

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2008

Spirit of Christmas

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2008

The Wendy Williams Show

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2008

Today With Kathie Lee & Hoda

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2007

Private Sessions

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2007

Chelsea Lately

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2007

Lionel Richie: All Night Long (All Night)

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2006

The One Show

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2006

America's Got TalentStream

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2006

The Simple Life: 'Til Death Do Us Part

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2006

Lionel Richie: I Call It Love

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2006

Lionel Richie: Lady (You Bring Me Up)

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2006

Dancing With the StarsStream

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2005

Motown 45

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2004

Tavis Smiley

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2004

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

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2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

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2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

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2003

American Idol

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2003
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Lionel Richie: Three Times a Lady

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2003

Top GearStream

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2002

One Life to Live Today

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2000

One Life to Live Tuesday

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2000

One Life to Live Yesterday

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2000

FelicityStream

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1998

The View

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1997

The View

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1997

Access Hollywood

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1996

The Preacher's WifeStream

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Britsloe
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1996
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Late Show With David Letterman

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1993

Late Show With David Letterman

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1993

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

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1992

The SimpsonsStream

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Himself
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1989
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The Oprah Winfrey ShowStream

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1986

Lionel Richie: Running With The Night

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1983

Lionel Richie: Penny Lover

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1983

Lionel Richie: Hello

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1983

Entertainment Tonight

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1981

Lionel Richie: Easy

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1981

Nightline

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1980

CBS News Sunday MorningStream

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1979

Good Morning America

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1975

Good Morning America

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1975

Saturday Night LiveStream

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1975

Parkinson

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1971

One Life to LiveStream

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1968

Today

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1952

Today

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1952

News aboutLionel Richie

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